I really am not worried about the Pitt players looking past Maryland tomorrow evening. Simply because too many Pitt players are going to have family and friends at the game.

The Panthers have four players from the Washington-Baltimore area and a fifth, Lamar Patterson, is from Lancaster, which isn’t that far away.

“There will definitely be a lot of family and friends coming to the game for us,” said Pitt point guard James Robinson, who is from Mitchellville, Md., and went to DeMatha Catholic, which basically is in the shadow of Maryland’s campus.

“A lot of us are going home or at least close to home, so we’re looking forward to seeing a lot of family and friends. It is going to be a fun atmosphere to play in. We’re expecting a rowdy crowd.”

Beyond Robinson, the Panthers have three players — Jamel Artis, Aron Nwankwo and the injured Durand Johnson — from Baltimore, one of Pitt’s prime recruiting areas.

This game matters and is something they circled.

You can also add Talib Zanna to the mix of players who have real ties to the area.

Saturday’s game has special meaning for Zanna, who attended Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., about 20 minutes from the Terrapins’ campus in College Park.

“Maryland’s right up the street from us. It’s a homecoming, basically,” said Martin Keithline, who coached Zanna at Bishop McNamara.

Maryland hasn’t really changed much from the last time the teams faced. They are 7-2 at home and 4-6 anywhere else. They are coming off an embarrassing effort at NC State. Especially since the Wolfpack lacked T.J. Warren for the game. Ending with a loss and mocking “A-C-C!” chants.

Pitt put on a clinic against Clemson of efficiency. Offense and defense. The question now is do they sustain it? Do they carry it on the road?

He said what’s most impressive about the Panthers’ defense is it thrives on being in good position and guarding the basket instead taking a lot of chances and getting out of position going for steals.

Dixon said he has liked the trend he has seen in recent weeks, but he is most excited about the fact that, with five new (first-year) players playing so many key minutes and key roles, the sky is the limit in terms of how good they can become.

“We’re still a work in progress, we’re not there yet,” Dixon said. “But I believe we will continue to get better; it is something we emphasize, something we work on, something we have prided ourselves around here on for a long time.

“The freshmen are all getting better and better, and that is what is exciting.”

And just to peak slightly ahead, the Duke game is a hard ticket to snag. What a shock.

And while Lamar Patterson did not make the mid-season Wooden Award watchlist of 25 players — apparently the ballots were submitted back on Jan. 10, but not announced until this week — he is still eligible to win it. He is, however, on the Oscar Robertson Award watchlist.

Patterson’s shooting form is loved. Disturbingly loved.

Let me be up front: I would make sweet, sweet love to Patterson’s jump shot. Patterson is a fifth-year senior who has been a solid 3-point shooter his entire career, so I’m not sure why I haven’t noticed his jumper’s flawlessness until this season. But now that I have, it’s like the clouds parted and angels started singing Enya songs. Actually, as someone who prides himself on his rainmaking abilities, watching Patterson shoot a basketball for the first time was more like Patrick Bateman looking at his colleagues’ business cards. Look at that subtle elbow placement. … The tasteful way he squares his shoulders. Oh my god — it even has a perfect off-hand and follow-through.

Ray Allen is the best shooter in the history of basketball and he’s often praised for having perfect shooting form. Well, Lamar Patterson makes Ray Allen look like Shawn Marion or Bill Cartwright. Compared to shooting icons like Larry Bird and Reggie Miller, Allen’s form is a thing of beauty, but he still uses his left thumb to help push the ball and he often puts so much emphasis on a quick release that his shot resembles a catapult. Patterson has an aesthetically perfect jump shot. He squares his body, he keeps his elbow in, he loads his shot just above his right eye, and his left hand remains so obnoxiously still during the follow-through that it’s borderline taunting. Every youth basketball coach in America should show their players slow-mo replays of Patterson’s game, specifically that stretch in the second half against Syracuse when he hit three 3s in a little over a minute.

A little over the top, but okay.